Orange County

Newport Worker Held in Molestation of Children

A Newport Beach recreation coordinator was arrested on suspicion of molesting children after a co-worker told authorities the man had been seen sucking on a boy's toes, police said Saturday.

Trenton Michael Veches, 31, of Huntington Beach was being held in Orange County Jail on $250,000 bail. He faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.

Police arrested Veches on Wednesday, a day after the co-worker told city officials about allegations of inappropriate behavior involving Veches and a boy, said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Shulman.

Shulman said detectives found digital pictures in Veches' home computer depicting partially clad children and Veches sucking children's toes. Shulman said the children appeared to be ages 6 to 10.

As a recreational coordinator for Newport Beach's Community Services Department, Veches supervised employees who ran after-school programs. He was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

City officials said in a written statement Friday that they had performed a background check on Veches before hiring him in August 1998 and found no arrests or inappropriate conduct.

''The city will do everything possible to help parents and children who may have been [affected],'' said City Manager Homer Bludau.